So Don't
by Rosewood17
Summary: "Damned if this girl wasn't gonna be the death of him." A re-imagining of the "I Never" scene in "Still."


**Greetings Y'all. It's been a while for me, and I'm excited to be back in fanfic writing mode. Especially now that I've ventured into a new fandom! This is my first attempt at a Walking Dead fic and I'm loving writing for it. Beth and Daryl are such a dynamic pairing and so close to being cannon that all the TWD fans are losing it. **

**This is a re-imagining of the scene in "Still" where the two play a game of I Never that gets up close and personal. I might have made Beth a bit too bold, but I really love the idea of her pursuing Daryl. There are a couple stories that I've read where he kind of jumps her, and while I like some of them, I think she's really the one who's going to have to initiate any kind of physical relationship. Also, I think Beth has way more gumption than most people give her credit for.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TWD or AMC. **

**So Don't - A Bethyl Oneshot**

Skeptical as he was, Daryl felt a comforting sense of familiarity as the moonshine burned a path down his throat. His initial sip was bigger than he intended, and he knew he'd have to watch himself if he was going to stay sober enough to respond to any threats. And so help him, he didn't consider the walkers the biggest threat right this second. He'd watched Beth's eyes light up when they'd found something to drink, and he knew immediately that he was playing with fire. If he didn't watch his mouth, he'd be saying something he'd been biting back for weeks. Something he had no business thinking about someone Beth's age.

Much as he knew the alcohol was a bad idea, he couldn't deny her. It was a simple request, and this world had taken so much from her already. He could control himself. He'd have to.

He'd only been half-listening as she explained the rules to a drinking game that hes only vaguely heard of.

"Never needed a game to get lit before," he commented when she finished.

"It's just something fun," she responded. Daryl could tell by her expression that she was bent on this. "I used to watch my friends do it," she continued, "but I was always afraid that Daddy would've killed me." Her smile got sad for a minute. "I guess that doesn't much matter anymore."

Daryl didn't have a good enough response to that, so he chose to stay silent.

She straightened her shoulders with resolve and clutched her jar.

"So I'll start. I've never shot a crossbow."

Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Doesn't seem like much of a game," he said, raising the jar to his mouth.

"Well, that was practice," she said with a smile, "Your turn."

Daryl fought the urge to return her smile.

"I never been outta Georgia," he decided on.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

He watched as her tongue darted out to catch a stray drop of shine from her lip, and had to look away. This was a terrible idea. Two sips in and she already had him thinking things he shouldn't.

"I've never been hunting," she replied and it was his turn to be surprised. Hunting was what had kept him alive a time of two.

"I could teach you," he found himself saying before he could stop it. Damn this moonshine. It'd been years since he'd had a proper drink, and with little food in his belly it was already causing him to be stupidly chatty.

Beth's face broke into a real smile and he was done for.

"I'd like that," she said genuinely.

"Would you?"

She nodded.

Relaxing the tiniest bit, he allowed himself a smirk.

"I'm teaching you all sort of things, huh," he joked, "drinkin', huntin', what's next girl?"

He glanced back at her and saw an uncertainty in her face that he almost didn't recognize. Beth had changed so much since he met her on the farm. She wasn't that scared little girl anymore, and it had been several months since he'd seen her look so timid.

She took a shallow breath before responding so softly that he almost didn't hear her.

"I've never been kissed before."

His stunned expression must have embarrassed her, because she immediately turned red and started stammering an explanation.

"I mean - not _really_ kissed. Jimmy and Zach, they kissed me, I guess. But not for real. Not like…" she struggled for the right words, "not like the kind that curls your toes."

Daryl reeled. She couldn't possibly mean what his traitorous brain was thinking. He rose to his feet quickly and stalked to the other side of the cabin. He needed some distance before he took her words as an invitation and did something they'd both regret.

"And what the hell is that s'posed to mean, exactly?" he asked roughly, hoping that his surliness covered the emotion that was warring in his voice.

Beth stood carefully and made to follow him. She looked shy but determined as she took a tentative step in his direction.

"I just thought, since you seem to be in a teachin' mood and all -" she trailed off, but didn't stop advancing.

A feeling of desperation was rising in his chest. He was cornered and knew that lashing out was the only way to stop this.

"You think I'm the kind of bastard who takes advantage of little girls?" he spat at her. Anything to get her to stop looking at him like that.

"I'm _not_ a little girl," she responded, angry sparks rising behind her eyes that did absolutely nothing to make her less attractive.

"Maybe not," he replied, still trying to sound mean, "but you may as well be with all the experience you got." He knew that Beth had no idea what she was getting into. While his experiences hadn't been nearly as varied as Merle's, he'd still had some. And every single one of them was rougher than the storybook that Beth Greene wanted.

"Maybe I'm sick of that." she said with a kind of determination he'd never seen before. He almost missed the shy Beth who used to jump everytime he so much as looked at her. Almost.

She moved closer still until the fronts of their shirts were practically touching. He took a steadying breath and decided on the last weapon in his arsenal. If he couldn't hurt her feelings, maybe he could scare her.

He seized the tops of her arms a little rougher than necessary and dropped his voice to a dangerous octave.

"You don't know what you're asking for, girl," he ground out, his voice a little huskier than he would have liked, "once I get started, I may not wanna stop." It was a lie. He'd never do anything she didn't want him to, but if it scared her enough to back the hell off, it might be worth it.

He saw the flash of nerves in her big blue eyes, and watched in amazement as her emotions shifted. She wasn't budging, and God help him, she had need written all over that innocent face of hers.

"So don't." she breathed, only inches from his face. Without another thought, she rose on her tiptoes and tentatively pressed her lips to his.

It took him the time of one hammering pound of his heart to process what she'd said and done before he gave in. He dropped her arms, tangling one hand in her long, blonde hair, and using the other to drag her hips against him. She gasped in surprise and he took it as an invitation to slide his tongue along her lower lip. When she responded by curling her small hands into the front of his shirt and shyly meeting his tongue with hers, he dropped the guilt he'd felt for weeks and poured all his pent-up frustration into the feeling of his mouth on hers.

After several long beats, Beth broke away for air and met his eyes wildly. She didn't seem put off. He was both terrified and relieved to see that she looked extremely pleased with herself. The little minx had practically jumped him.

Daryl stepped back and ran a shaky hand through his hair. He wasn't sure what this would mean, but he found that he wasn't sorry it had happened.

"Let's hope that's all the learnin' you need." he said with the tiniest start of a smile.

Beth responded with a grin so big, he couldn't believe he'd caused it. He was beginning to wonder what he wouldn't do to see her smile like that

"For now." she said, her eyes flashing with a tease.

Damned if this girl wasn't gonna be the death of him.

**I would SUPER appreciate any reviews and thoughts! 3**


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